1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a winding machine. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for winding lengths of bandage such as elastic bandages into compact rolls.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rolled bandages have a wide variety of medical and therapeutic uses. For example, elastic bandage rolls are used by athletes, medical personnel, and patients to wrap and protect different parts of the body.
Many users, such as hospitals and medical clinics, wind and rewind vast numbers of elastic bandages. Moreover, people with particular medical problems such as lymphedema are required to continually use elastic bandages to control their disease.
Various devices have been developed to wind and rewind bandages into convenient rolls. These devices, however, are not easy to use and can be especially troublesome for physically challenged people or people lacking dexterity such as the ill or those with arthritis.
One problem with previous known winding devices is the difficulty starting a new bandage roll. Devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,298 to Davis and U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,618 to Reinke have rigid shafts that rotate to wind the lengths of bandage. To start a new roll, the starting end of the bandage length must be affixed to this shaft so that the shaft will roll up the bandage. These prior devices require the user to "thread" the starting end through a thin slot in the shaft or in between the shaft and a parallel guide strip to affix the starting end, a tedious and difficult task for many who lack the necessary dexterity, much like threading a very large thread into a needle hole.
Accordingly, one object of the invention is to provide a wrapping device that is easier to start, hold, and remove the bandage from the wrapping shaft.
Another object is to provide a device that eliminates the need to thread the starting end of the bandage onto the shaft.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent from the description or can be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained by the device particularly pointed out in the appended claims.